Cairns fighter Dirk Cummings gets a kick – out of heads

There is nothing Dirk Cummings likes more than kicking a bloke in the head. But if you think this Queensland title-winning Muay Thai fighter is a one-trick pony, guess again: this Fight Academy gun is lethal with anything.

There is nothing Dirk Cummings likes more than kicking a bloke in the head.

But if you think this Queensland title-winning Muay Thai fighter is a one-trick pony, well, be ready to get your block up because this Fight Academy gun is lethal with anything.

“I like kicking people in the head, definitely, that’s probably more my signature than anything else,” he said.

“But it’s all a good mix mate, that’s what it is.

Muay Thai fighter Dirk Cummings. Picture: Stewart McLean

“In Muay Thai, you’ve got eight things to choose from, and I like using all of them.

“I wouldn’t pin it down to anything, but head kicks. Definitely head kicks.”

Cummings is as laidback and chilled a fighter as you’d meet, but that relaxed exterior makes way for a an absolute weapon who can knock out an opponent with any of his “eight limbs”.

The head kick is the trademark, but the way Cummings moves – which coach Patrick Doherty says was developed naturally by the man himself – makes his elbows, knees and fists just as lethal.

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The way Cummings tells it, he just likes to fight.

He’s never one to back down, which he has proved time and again by taking fights at late notice – and winning – earning title fights and bringing back the bling.

Even though he has a WKBF Super Middleweight South Pacific Title fight against Jeremy “The Ghost” Hale (Black Dragon Kai) on March 13, it’s not always about belts for the Smiling Assassin.

“The bling is just part of it, I like just getting to the fighting, that’s what I’m about,” Cummings said.

Muay Thai fighter Dirk Cummings. Picture: Stewart McLean

“If they weren’t giving me belts, I’d still be fighting.

“It helps to be getting pumped up as part of the sport, putting it forward.

“The bigger my fights get, the bigger it gets for everyone, the bigger the gym can put its efforts towards. I live in the gym, mate. There’s not a day I’m not here for four or five hours, and that’s the time I work, I’m here. I’m immersed in Muay Thai, I can’t escape, and that’s good.”

Doherty hasn’t quite yet worked out how Cummings developed his movement, but the ease with each he moves – there’s a fluidity to the man’s movements in the squared circle – but it’s certainly effective.

Muay Thai fighter Dirk Cummings. Picture: Stewart McLean

“He has his own style,” Doherty said. “I don’t know where it comes from because he’s only trained here,

“He moves really well. He doesn’t do it like how I do it or how the rest of our coaches do it– he has his own spin on things. He’s hard to hit, really evasive, loves his elbows, loves a fight, he’s just unpredictable and moves well.” Not even the coronavirus pandemic could slow Cummings down, as the fighter trained harder than ever before – and picked up a few title belts along the way.

“He kept training, he still had four fights last year and two of them were titles, so it’s not like he’s slowed down through COVID,” Doherty said.

“After winning that big fight down there, he got asked to come back and fight for the South Pacific title. (Hale) has a really good record, not many losses to his name, he’s a little bit heavier so again Dirk’s taking a step up to fight him but we’re hoping to go down and surprise them all.”

Originally published as Cairns fighter Dirk Cummings gets a kick – out of heads